Electric motorcycles are becoming a bigger and
bigger part of the global motorcycle market; the silent revolution of the
battery-powered motors. With all the models becoming available, we can choose
between a standard-looking e-bike that hides its true nature, or a futuristic
design that screams “I ride on zero emissions”. The common challenge all these
models still face is the lack of range. That could be about to change.
It’s difficult to increase the range on an electric
motorcycle. To achieve that, you need a bigger battery capable of storing more
energy. Bigger battery means bigger frame—an easy equation that results in a
bulky electric powertrain.
A group of engineering students from the University
of Zurich in Switzerland has actually managed to produce a one-off motorcycle
with a staggering electric range of 250 miles. In addition to the range, the
bike has a built-in quick charge system that can top off the battery in about
an hour. Take that Tesla! The prototype was designed for a school project that
challenged the 14 students to experience all the steps of product development.
The result is the all-electric Ethec.
With mechanical and electrical engineers on the
team, the bike is in dire need of a creative eye. The design is brutal, but it
serves its purpose: the monobody unit is equipped with a massive lithium-ion 15
kWh battery. The group explains that front-wheel braking dissipated 75 percent
of the energy so it addressed this reality by adding a front-wheel hub motor
that will recuperate the energy.
The motor is cooled by a thermoelectric system,
combined with a direct-cooling oil stream around the battery’s cells. The
prototype is also fitted with a seven-inch touchscreen with navigation and is
started with a keyless, push-start button. Yep, we’re still talking about a
motorcycle. Despite its minimalist look and its elaborate
technology, the ethec does retain more classical motorcycle elements including
a lightweight tube frame, a proper swingarm, and a trapezoidal fork at the
front.
Obviously, at this point, there is no talk of
production but the students’ ingenuity could definitely find some real-world
applications. After all, it would be easy to market an electric motorcycle with
a 250-mile range—which is more than most gasoline models currently on the
market. Hopefully we’ll get to see the idea make its way to production. Just,
please… let a design student have a go at it.
